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High Performance Buildings

  

 

Included in this Program Area are links to, and highlights from, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System,TM case studies of green construction efforts, software and databases to aid in determining which construction products and processes are the most effective, and assorted high performance construction guidelines and standards.

 

In EO 13423, Section 2(f), Federal agencies are required to ensure that:

 

Section 3(a) mandates that the heads of each agency implement within the agency sustainable practices for high performance construction, lease, operation, and maintenance of buildings.

 

EO 13423, Section 9 provides the following definition applicable to this Program Area.

  • sustainable - to create and maintain conditions, under which humans and nature can exist in productive harmony, that permit fulfilling the social, economic, and other requirements of present and future generations of Americans.

Please use the links below to quickly jump to the information area needed or scroll down to view all items.


Regulations, Guidance, and Policy
A voluntary product stewardship agreement achieved through multistakeholder dialogue. It has been signed by 7 states, the USEPA, and more than 95% of the industry. The focus of the MOU is a series of goals for reuse, recycling, and waste diversion of carpeting by 2012.
Strengthening Federal Environmental, Energy, and Transportation Management
24 January 2007
Executive Order 13423 "Strengthening Federal Environmental, Energy, and Transportation Management", signed by President Bush on January 24, 2007. The order sets goals in the areas of energy efficiency, acquisition, renewable energy, toxics reductions, recycling, renewable energy, sustainable buildings, electronics stewardship, fleets, and water conservation. In addition the order requires more widespread use of Environmental Management Systems as the framework in which to manage and continually improve these sustainable practices.
This technical guidance has been developed by the Interagency Sustainability Working Group (ISWG). The guidance clarifies requirements and related mandates, contains additional recommendations and considerations, and resources for implementation, including model contract and specification language. The ISWG will review the Guiding Principles and Technical Guidance periodically for updates and to consider adopting additional principles or goals addressing issues such as conservation plantings, integrated pest management, deconstruction, and siting.
With this Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), signed in January 2006, signatory agencies commit to federal leadership in the design, construction, and operation of High-Performance and Sustainable Buildings. A major element of this strategy is the implementation of common strategies for planning, acquiring, siting, designing, building, operating, and maintaining High Performance and Sustainable Buildings. Included in the MOU are the 5 Guiding Principles for Federal Leadership in High Performance and Sustainable Buildings which includes more detailed guidance on the parameters for and the implementation of principles for optimizing energy performance, conserving water, improved indoor environmental quality, integrated design, and reduction of the impact of materials.
The Interagency Sustainability Working Group (ISWG), as a subcommittee of the Steering Committee established by Executive Order (E.O.) 13423, initiated development of this guidance, dated 1 December 2008, to assist agencies in meeting the high performance and sustainable buildings goals of E.O. 13423, section 2(f). This guidance also includes the Comment Resolution Summary detailing responses to comments on the draft version of this document.
The Interagency Sustainability Working Group (ISWG), as a subcommittee of the Steering Committee established by Executive Order (E.O.) 13423, initiated development of this guidance, dated 1 December 2008, to assist agencies in meeting the high performance and sustainable buildings goals of E.O. 13423, section 2(f).
In accordance with Section 4(b) of Executive Order 13423, "Strengthening Federal Environmental, Energy, and Transportation Management", implementing instructions have been issued to Federal agencies to provide detail and direction to agencies as the work to fulfill the goals and requirement of the Executive Order. Section 8 of these instructions are specific to pollution prevention. These instructions are dated March 29, 2007.
OMB Circular A-11 was revised in 2002 to encourage Federal agencies to incorporate ENERGY STAR® or the U.S. Green Building Council's (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating SystemTM into up front design concepts for new construction and/or building renovations. Agencies must report if they incur or anticipate incurring additional costs for incorporating these standards.
All agencies subject to Executive Order 13423 are required to annually submit on August 15 a plan that outlines how the agency will ensure that (1) all new facilities and renovation projects implement design, construction, and maintenance and operation practices in support of the sustainable design/high-performance buildings goals of the E.O. and statutory requirements and (2) existing facilities' maintenance and operation practices in support of the goals of the E.O. This document provides guidance on the development of the Sustainable Building Implementation Plan.
United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) officials in cooperation with leading global construction firms, will develop new practices for limiting waste, curbing greenhouse gas emissions, and ensuring better uses of finite natural resources by the global construction industry. The principal objective will be to improve energy efficiency and reduce carbon dioxide emissions from new construction projects, UNEP said. UNEP will encourage governments to include sustainability considerations in newlegislation and building standards, help building firms meet these standards, and promote their uptake by the financial sector when it finances new construction.
Supporting Information and Tools
 
Databases/Software Tools
Developed by DoE, AIRMaster+ provides comprehensive information on assessing compressed air systems, including modeling, existing and future system upgrades, and evaluating savings and effectiveness of energy efficiency measures. Version 1.2.2. was released 16 July 2008. Available for free
Developed by DOE with three of its' national labs, these benchmark models are complete descriptions of buildings for whole building energy analysis using EnergyPlus. There are 16 commercial building types represented with benchmark files and information on the building types and climates. Benchmarks will be made available for new construction, post-1980 buildings, and pre-1980 buildings. Types of models often found at federal facilities include: large office, medium office, small office, warehouse, stand-alone retail, schools, fast food, restaurant, hospital, outpatient health care, small hotel, and large hotel.
BEES is a free software tool for selecting environmentally preferred, cost-effective building products. Version 4.0 updates data on more than 200 products and adds 30 new products for review. It also offers users the option of a new set of consensus weights for scoring the environmental impact of individual building products, based on a BEES Stakeholder Panel convened at NIST last year.
Developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to provide computational support for the analysis of capital investments in buildings. The focus is analysis for energy and water conservation and renewable energy projects based on the type of construction funding supporting the projects (MILCON, EO 13123, etc).
This free downloadable software program estimates the environmental benefits of salvaging and reusing building materials, rather than buying and installing new ones. The calculator measures the environmental benefits of reusing building materials in terms of ten avoided negative environmental impacts (global warming, acidification, eutrophication, fossil fuel depletion, water intake, criteria air pollutants, ecological toxicity, human health, ozone depletion, smog) and in terms of the embodied energy that the materials contain, which is preserved when the materials are reused.
Developed by DoE, the Chilled Water System Analysis Tool (CWSAT) is used to determine energy requirements of your system, and to evaluate opportunities for energy and costs savings by applying improvement measures. Provide basic information about an existing configuration to calculate current energy consumption, and then select proposed equipment or operational changes for comparison. The results of this analysis will help you quantify the potential benefits of chilled water system improvements. This version is dated 5 October 2007. Available for free.
Developed by DoE, the Combined Heat and Power (CHP) Application Tool helps industrial users evaluate the feasibility of CHP for heating systems such as fuel-fired furnaces, boilers, ovens, heaters, and heat exchangers. It allows analysis of three typical system types: fluid heating, exhaust-gas heat recovery, and duct burner systems. Use the tool to estimate system costs and payback period, and to perform "what-if" analysis for various utility costs. The tool includes performance data and preliminary cost information for many commercially available gas turbines and default values that can be adapted to meet specific application requirements. Available for free.
Calculations addressing conversion factors, computing waste amounts, and calculating potential savings.
High Performance Buildings are an initiative of the DOE Building Technologies program. This site is a portal to information on technologies, design guidelines, design approaches, performance metrics, and DOE's research in this arena.
ENERGY STAR® has launched an upgraded version of its on-line energy benchmarking tool for buildings, which is called Portfolio Manager. Portfolio Manager’s features enables users to benchmark and label their buildings; track their buildings' energy and space use over time, set performance targets and monitor successes; compare buildings in their portfolio and set priorities for investing in and rewarding improved performance; track energy use and benchmark improvement over time, both for individual buildings and for the total portfolio; and make quick, first cut portfolio benchmarking easier.
These calculators allow users to enter their own input values (e.g., utility rates, hours of use, etc.) to estimate the energy cost savings from buying a more efficient product. Calculators are available for: compact fluorescent lamps, commercial unitary air conditioners, air cooled chillers, water-cooled chillers, commercial heat pumps, boilers, refrigerators, freezers, beverage vending machines, computers, monitors, faxes, printers, copiers, faucet/showerheads, toilet/urinals, central air conditioners, gas furnaces, electric/gas water heaters, clothes washers, and dish washers.
This software integrates daylighting, passive solar heating, and low-energy cooling strategies with energy-efficient shell design and mechanical equipment. It enables designers to make good decisions about energy efficiency early in the design process. ENERGY-10 was developed with a building industry task force that included architects, engineers, builders, and utility representatives. The program is geared toward buildings of 10,000 square feet or less. The Sustainable Buildings Industry Council provides information about the current version and technical support of Energy-10.
A free building energy simulation program for modeling building heating, cooling, lighting, ventilating, and other energy flows. While it is based on the most popular features and capabilities of BLAST and DOE-2, it includes many innovative simulation capabilities such as time steps of less than an hour, modular systems and plant integrated with heat balance-based zone simulation, multizone air flow, thermal comfort, and photovoltaic systems.
This is a financial analysis tool that helps identify the most cost effective method to fund a wastewater or drinking water management project. This tool produces a comprehensive analysis that compares various financing options for these projects by incorporating financing, regulatory, and other important costs.
This tool is designed to help designers, clients, and colleagues implement green design throughout the planning and design process. The Green Matrix is designed to cross-reference topics of sustainability with the standard phases of project design, thereby illuminating appropriate strategies for a particular phase of work
This is a database on research and policy related to green roof infrastructure. This database is composed of detailed summaries of research and policy papers in English from around the world. The purpose of the database is to provide users with a single resource that aggregates existing knowledge on the benefits of green roofs and the policy options available.
This database, created by the U.S. Green Building Council and GreenBiz.com, helps users understand how projects successfully earned LEED credits.
Developed by DoE, this tool is a resource for implementing and documenting compliance with the Guiding Principles for existing buildings. It is also a tool for implementing and documenting compliance with the Guiding Principles and LEED Gold certification for new construction. Portions of the tool are adapted from the US Green Building Council's LEED(r) rating system.
This database is research sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy that seeks to improve building performance measuring methods by collecting data on various factors that affect a building's performance, such as energy, materials, and land use. The database collects information from buildings around the world, ranging from homes and commercial interiors to large buildings and even whole campuses and neighborhoods. These may be certified green projects, or simply projects that have one or more notable environmental features.
This is a source of information on technological innovations in the housing industry. The inventory focuses on technologies currently considered to be "emerging" (i.e. with a market share of 5% or less) in a wide range of categories; from new materials, components and systems to complete houses. PATH is a voluntary partnership in which leaders of the homebuilding, product manufacturing, insurance, and financial industries join forces with representatives of Federal agencies concerned with housing.
Sponsored by the the Healthy Building Network (HBN) and their partners, this tool seeks to define a consumer-driven vision of truly green building materials and how they should be evaluated in harmony with principles of environmental health and justice. Pharos evaluates materials across several impact categories such as energy/water usage, air quality impact, and toxicity, but also introduces new categories such as occupational safety, social justice and habitat impact that to date have not been included in any material rating system. One tool of Pharos is PharosWiki which provides users a place to research materials and chemicals and building products as well as sharing their experience and knowledge.
You can use the Power Profiler to generate a report about your own electricity use. All you need is your ZIP code.
Developed by DoE, the Process Heating Assessment and Survey Tool (PHAST) provides an introduction to process heating methods and tools to improve thermal efficiency of heating equipment. Use the tool to survey process heating equipment that uses fuel, steam, or electricity, and identify the most energy-intensive equipment. You can also perform an energy (heat) balance on selected equipment (furnaces) to identify and reduce non-productive energy use. Compare performance of the furnace under various operating conditions and test "what-if" scenarios. Available for free.
RADIANCE is a highly accurate ray-tracing software system for UNIX computers that is licensed at no cost to users for non-commercial use; commercial use licenses including distribution rights are available for a fee. Radiance was developed with primary support from the U.S. Department Of Energy and additional support from the Swiss Federal Government. It is copyrighted by the Regents of the University of California.
Designed to showcase the benefits of ENERGY STAR-labeled roof products, the Roofing Comparison Calculator will estimate energy cost savings for air-conditioned residential, office, or commercial buildings with at least 3,000 square feet of roof area and heated by either natural gas or an electric heat pump.
Compares high-efficiency room air conditioners to standard equipment in terms of life-cycle cost.
Developed by DoE, if you are considering potential steam system improvements in your plant, the results could be worthwhile. In fact, in many facilities, steam system improvements can save 10% to 20% in fuel costs. To help you tap into potential savings in your facility, DOE offers a suite of tools for evaluating and identifying steam system improvements. Learn more about the tools and specialized training, and download software here. The suite was updated 7 July 2008. Available for free.
The system is sponsored by the DOE Federal Energy Management Program. The system provides easy access to a compilation of federal agency policies and guidelines on energy efficient, sustainable government facilities. Exemplary policies from other levels of government are also included. Documents included range from general policy directives to specific design criteria and operating requirements.
This is a menu-driven PC program which allows realistic calculation of the transient coupled one-dimensional heat and moisture transport in multi-layer building components exposed to natural weather.
Directories/Catalogs/Newsletters
A newsletter published by the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS).
Each online issue of Ecotecture focuses on a particular aspect of the ecological design field, such as the redesign of cities for better ecological performance, sustainable agriculture, ecological housing, and alternative energy. The site also features interviews with a leading ecological designer and a forum for sharing ideas, designs, and the results of experiments.
A subscription-based monthly newsletter from BuildingGreen.com featuring comprehensive, practical information on a range of topics related to sustainable design in the built environment.
A listing of proven green building strategies that have been submitted and utilized by LEED Certified projects.
This voluntary, consensus-based national standard for developing a high-performance, sustainable building was created by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). LEED can be applied to every building type and phase of a building lifecycle. Specific programs exist for the following building types: new commercial construction and major renovation projects; multiple buildings and on-campus building projects; existing building operations and maintenance; commercial interiors; core and shell development projects; homes neighborhood development, schools, and retail operations.
The roster search and referral system is accessible to anyone contemplating the use of consensus building and dispute resolution services where environmental, natural resources, or public lands issues are involved.
A resource directory for local governments to use in developing and implementing climate change initiatives. This guide includes information on, among many other items, how the U.S. EPA can help with:
  • greening transportation;
  • land-use decisions and building construction requirements;
  • improving recycling;
  • conserving water; and
  • using more efficient and renewable energy
A website-based information resource for the mid-Atlantic region. The SBR Directory is a searchable database of Green Building and Sustainable Development businesses, organizations, and programs.
This directory has been compiled by Lady Bird Johnson’s Wildflower Center to make it easier to find businesses that sell native plants or seeds and provide professional landscape or consulting services.
Libraries/Repositories
This website was created to help project teams understand the basic concepts of sustainability, and to provide resources needed to create high performance buildings using either the Sustainable Project Rating Tool (SPiRiT) or US Green Building Council's LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating tool. Policy and guidance documents are available for project teams who plan, design or build Army facilities.
Environmental Protection Agency's Green Building website links to tools and resources to help project teams learn about energy efficiency and renewables, green building materials, indoor environment, water conservation and waste.
This site offers useful information and resources on sustainable building services, practices, products, and techniques. The Sustainable Building Sourcebook is available online, and a searchable directory of green building professionals is located on this site.
The system is sponsored by the DOE Federal Energy Management Program. The system provides easy access to a compilation of federal agency policies and guidelines on energy efficient, sustainable government facilities. Exemplary policies from other levels of government are also included. Documents included range from general policy directives to specific design criteria and operating requirements.
Operated by the Alliance for Water Efficiency (AWE), the library includes resources on water conservation and efficiency.
Organizations/Programs
The AIA COTE annually selects its "Top Ten" examples of architectural and "green" design solutions that protect and enhance the environment.
The BMRA is a non-profit educational organization whose mission is to facilitate building deconstruction and the reuse/recycling of recovered building materials.
CRBT is dedicated to promoting environmentally responsible practices in construction. Helpful website includes online version of the "Guide to Resource Efficient Building Elements: A Directory of Environmentally Responsible Building Products", useful links and research.
Started by the Canadian government, Ecologo certifies products as environmentally preferable after a stringent process that includes third party verification of compliance to EcoLogoM certification criteria. EcoLogoM has certified the environmental leaders in over 300 categories of products. The description for product categories contain the product specific requirements, how verification of meeting the requirements is done, and category definitions. Broad categories in which EcoLogo has certified products include: automotive related products and services; building and construction products; cleaning and janitorial products; containers, packaging, bags, and sacks; marine products; office furniture, equipment, and business products; printing products; pulp and paper products; consumer products; and services.
The Energy Efficient Building Association promotes a systems approach to ensure energy efficiency, building durability, occupant comfort and health, and environmental responsibility. Its Web site provides downloadable information (in PDF format) for energy- and resource-efficient buildings and assists small, low-rise commercial buildings with specific criteria for design, construction, and comprehensive rehabilitation.
Help protect our environment by designing buildings with superior energy performance. Top performing facilities that are designed to earn the ENERGY STAR require less money to operate and are responsible for fewer greenhouse gas emissions from power plants. Take advantage of tools and resources from EPA, and join building design professionals from around the country who are demonstrating their commitment to creating sustainable architecture.
This partnership encourages electricity customers to voluntarily purchase or generate green power. Green Power Partners must use green power in an amount that meets or exceeds EPA’s minimum benchmarks. EPA offers market information, communications assistance and recognition. Many familiar Fortune 500 companies, cities, states, federal agencies, universities and small businesses are Green Power Partners. To learn more about the Green Power Partnership and how to become partner, please visit: http://epa.gov/greenpower/.
A collaborative, public-private sector effort to increase the recycling and reuse of industrial materials in building and transportation construction projects across the nation. It is a part of EPA's Resource Conservation Challenge (RCC).
Green Roofs for Healthy Cities' mission is to increase the awareness of the economic, social, and environmental benefits of green roof infrastructure across North America and rapidly advance the development of the market for green roof products and services.
A national network of green building professionals, environmental and health activists, socially responsible investment advocates and others who are interested in promoting healthier building materials as a means of improving public health and preserving the global environment.
NIBS is a non-profit, non-governmental organization bringing together representatives of government, the professions, industry, labor and consumer interests to focus on the identification and resolution of problems and potential problems that hamper the construction of safe, affordable structures for housing, commerce and industry throughout the United States.
A new partnership between the Enterprise Foundation and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is contributing to the greening of affordable housing. In September 2004, these organizations—joined by the American Institute of Architects, the American Planning Association and several other corporate, financial and nonprofit partners—launched the Green Community Initiative, a $550 million fund to build more than 8,500 environmentally friendly affordable housing units over the next five years. Through this new Green Communities Initiative, Enterprise and NRDC will work through community development corporations and homebuilders to provide grants, loans, equity, training and technical assistance to encourage housing developers to incorporate green design into their work.
This is a source of information on technological innovations in the housing industry. The inventory focuses on technologies currently considered to be "emerging" (i.e. with a market share of 5% or less) in a wide range of categories; from new materials, components and systems to complete houses. PATH is a voluntary partnership in which leaders of the homebuilding, product manufacturing, insurance, and financial industries join forces with representatives of Federal agencies concerned with housing.
A consortium of ten federal government Member agencies and over 260 non-federal Cooperators representing various disciplines within the conservation field: biologists, botanists, habitat preservationists, horticulturists, resources management consultants, soil scientists, special interest clubs, non-profit organizations, concerned citizens, nature lovers, and gardeners. PCA Members and Cooperators work collectively to solve the problems of native plant extinction and native habitat restoration, ensuring the preservation of our ecosystem. This site contains state or regionally-specific guides on native plant landscaping, grant programs, in invasive species.
This web portal is a top favorite of green building experts. It links to tools, references, guidelines, and success stories for many important sustainability topics. Please add it to your favorites list.
SBIC brings together design professionals, corporations, and individuals who are committed to sustainable design. The site has wonderful resources, tools, reference guides and training opportunities.
The intent of this effort is to provide a framework that, when implemented in an area, can achieve measurable emissions reductions and promote sustainability in urban environments.
The U.S. Green Building Council is the nation’s foremost coalition of leaders from across the building industry working to promote buildings that are environmentally responsible, profitable and healthy places to live and work.
Supporting Information and Tools Bottom Border

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Lessons Learned
 
Award Winners
The 2005 CTC winner is the FAA’s Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) building in Seattle, WA. An overview what they have done in the Sustainable Design/Green Building arena that warrented this award starts on page 16 of the Closing the Circle News.
The annual DOI Environmental Achievement Awards convey high-level recognition to DOI employees and partners for DOI projects in the areas of: Waste/Pollution Prevention, Recycling, Green Purchasing, Environmental Management Systems, Sustainable Design/Green Building, and Alternative Fuel and Fuel Conservation in Transportation.
The intent of the competition is to shape the future of green building and facilitate local building materials reuse.
The military winner for 2008 is Fort Bragg for their entry titled Sustainable Design Through LEED. The civilian winner for 2008 is the GSA Sustainable Building Project Team for their entry titled A Model of Sustainable Architecture.
This is awarded annual to both a military winner and a civilian winner. This category recognizes the most innovative Federal government sustainable design and green building projects.
Beneficial Landscaping
EPA Region 10’s website which includes links to demonstration gardens, state POCs.
EPA Region 3’s guidance on designing and maintaining beautiful yards, gardens, and larger landscapes to: reduce harm to the environment; save time and $ with lower maintenance; have healthier places to work and play.
Landscaping with native plants improves the environment. Native plants are hardy because they have adapted to the local conditions. Once established, native plants do not need pesticides, fertilizers, or watering. Not only is this good for the environment, it saves time and money.
Case Studies
These case studies were developed by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection to highlight techniques for saving money and protecting the environment through reuse and recycling of construction and demolition debris. Six case studies are highlighted.
These reports summarize findings from research that was conducted at NREL to assess the energy design and performance of six high-performance buildings, and uses this information to recommend future research on commercial buildings to meet building technologies (BT) goals for creating marketable zero-energy buildings by 2025.
A 64-page “White Paper” that assesses the financial costs and benefits of environmentally sustainable buildings is available from Building Design+Construction. The report describes the financial factors of green building for 10 key types of buildings: office buildings, retail shopping, hotels, restaurants, housing, industrial buildings, schools, college/ university facilities, and government buildings.
Portland Energy Office, June 18, 2000. A cost/benefit analysis of applying LEED design criteria to city buildings.
This is a database that provides case studies of projects ranging from homes and commercial interiors to large buildings and even whole campuses and neighborhoods. These may be certified green projects, or simply projects that have one or more notable environmental features. The information has been reviewed for consistency and presentation, but in most cases the details have not been independently verified.
Energy consumption at labs, data centers, and cleanrooms is characterized by large base-loads operating 24 hours a day with energy intensities much larger than typical commercial buildings. The intent of this website is to provide a portal to a portfolio of research, development, demonstration, and deployment of energy-efficient technologies and practices for high-tech facilities such as laboratories, cleanrooms, and data centers.
These reports summarize findings from research that was conducted at DOE’s NREL to assess the energy design and performance of six high-performance buildings.
A listing of proven green building strategies that have been submitted and utilized by LEED Certified projects.
Presentation from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Infrastructure Systems Conference June 25-29, 2007. The presentation describes the incorporation of sustainable design and LEED into construction projects at the USACE Savannah District.
The document begins with a review of LID, its purpose and methods. It also includes numerous examples of the application of LID at DOD training areas. It then devotes the majority of its pages to a set of fact sheets on such topics as "Secondary Roads", "Small Weapons Firing Ranges", "Maneuver Corridors", and "Bioretention Technology". It ends with good number of plans and drawings for the hard-corps planning/engineering staff.
This comprehensive plan developed by EPA, with state and national partners to reduce runoff and increase environmental and economic benefits for communities is now available. The strategy will help reduce stormwater runoff and sewer overflows by promoting "green infrastructure" approaches, such as green roofs, trees and tree boxes, rain gardens, and porous pavements. The plan explains how states, municipalities, permitting authorities, and non-governmental organizations can use green infrastructure practices to meet water quality goals while sustaining their water infrastructure. The document outlines ways to bring green infrastructure technologies and approaches into mainstream use for runoff and sewer overflow management.
This report compares different green building rating systems for Federal use. The report was authored by Pacific Northwest National Lab.
Construction Design
A summary of the impact of the Energy Star Program in homebuilding.
A building professional's guide to more than 90 environmentally-appropriate technologies and practices. Architects, engineers and buildings managers can improve the energy and resource efficiency of commercial, industrial and multi-unit residential buildings through the use of the technologies and practices described in this web site. The following design and construction issues are covered: indoor air quality; water conservation; waste management; electricity production; non-toxic materials; recycled materials; daylighting; and energy efficiency. New technologies are added to the site during the updating process.
Issued in 2005, this statement details the steps and goals for sustainable architectural practice.
Issued by Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), this report, dated 1 December 2008, highlights combined heat and power (CHP) as a realistic solution to enhance national energy efficiency, ensure environmental quality, promote economic growth, and foster a robust energy infrastructure.
A government-backed program helping businesses and individuals protect the environment through superior energy efficiency.
EPA has partnered with the Federal Environmental Executive and the Whole Building Design Guide (WBDG) to develop the Federal Green Construction Guide for Specifiers. The intent of the document is to address the need for a comprehensive guide for procuring green building products and construction services within the Federal government.
Guiding Principles of Sustainable Design published by the US Department of Interior and National Park Service.
This voluntary, consensus-based national standard for developing a high-performance, sustainable building was created by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). LEED can be applied to every building type and phase of a building lifecycle. Specific programs exist for the following building types: new commercial construction and major renovation projects; multiple buildings and on-campus building projects; existing building operations and maintenance; commercial interiors; core and shell development projects; homes neighborhood development, schools, and retail operations.
The latest generation of water-saving, high-efficiency toilets must use less than 1.3 gal per flush and meet performance standards for quality in order to qualify for EPA's WaterSense label.
A voluntary public-private partnership that identifies and promotes high performance products and programs that help preserve the nation’s water supply (EO 13423, Section 2(c)).
Construction Guidelines and Criteria
A building professional's guide to more than 90 environmentally-appropriate technologies and practices. Architects, engineers and buildings managers can improve the energy and resource efficiency of commercial, industrial and multi-unit residential buildings through the use of the technologies and practices described in this web site. The following design and construction issues are covered: indoor air quality; water conservation; waste management; electricity production; non-toxic materials; recycled materials; daylighting; and energy efficiency. New technologies are added to the site during the updating process.
AFCEE's LEED-based guide to sustainable facilities. Includes the following steps: pre-design, a-e procurement, design, construction, and occupancy. You will have to first save the zipfile to your hard drive, then unzip the contents to a folder, then click on the file "index.html" to begin the self-contained, web-based guide.
The purpose of the California Gold Sustainable Carpet Standard is to establish consistent requirements for sustainable carpet products.
This checklist was developed by EPA. Called GreenCheck, the process provides a method for EPA to track the compliance of projects at facilities it owns and/or occupies where Federal sustainable building requirements apply.
These goals, objectives and criteria for energy and resource efficient buildings. They provide guidance for design, construction and comprehensive rehabilitation (gut-rehab) of low-rise residential and small commercial buildings less than 20,000 square feet (1,900 m2) floor area.
Developed by Health and Human Services, this matrix is for use in collecting and measuring how well an existing building meets the requirements of the Guiding Principles, as well as EO 13423 and EISA 2007. It also includes two additional measures: Economics and Conformance with Local Environmental Compliance.
The Field Guide for Sustainable Construction is a joint project between PENREN/C and The Pennsylvania State University. It is intended to be a helpful, practical reference for construction personnel working on building sites. It guides decision-making that helps the project team achieve sustainable project goals for planned and ongoing projects.
Portland Energy Office, June 18, 2000. A cost/benefit analysis of applying LEED design criteria to city buildings.
This is a companion document to the GSA LEED Cost Study, which outlines an evaluation process in which the predicted first cost impacts of the individual LEED prerequisites and credits (developed from the Cost Study) are used as a basis for structuring an overall LEED project approach. The process also illustrates how LEED criteria relate to existing GSA mandates, performance goals, and programmatic requirements.
Two building types (new construction courthouses and Federal Building modernization) are modeled against two scenarios for each LEED rating (Certification, Silver, Gold), identifying differential costs of construction, design, and documentation/submission requirements.
The purpose of this document is to provide a roadmap for the design and construction of efficient, cost-effective, durable, and environmentally sound buildings and landscapes. This document was produced by over 50 facility managers and other local staff professionals in Durham, Orange, and Wake Counties, North Carolina.
This voluntary, consensus-based national standard for developing a high-performance, sustainable building was created by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). LEED can be applied to every building type and phase of a building lifecycle. Specific programs exist for the following building types: new commercial construction and major renovation projects; multiple buildings and on-campus building projects; existing building operations and maintenance; commercial interiors; core and shell development projects; homes neighborhood development, schools, and retail operations.
This guide is for the construction company owner, contractor, architect, and other personnel involved in construction and development. Use this guide during the pre-bid phase to learn what is required; use it during the pre-construction phase to assign environmental responsibilities; and during the construction phase to find answers to ongoing environmental questions or conducting self audits.
Efficient water use helps to reduce the need for costly water supply and wastewater treatment facilities, helps maintain stream flows and healthy aquatic habitats, and reduces the energy used to pump, heat and treat water. A broad spectrum of stakeholders, from homeowners to State governments, can find information here that can help them become more water-efficient.
A web-based portal providing government and industry practitioners with one-stop access to up-to-date information on a wide range of building-related guidance, criteria and technology from a 'whole buildings' perspective. Currently organized into two major categories—Design Guidance and Project Management. Development of the WBDG is a collaborative effort among federal agencies, private sector companies, non-profit organizations and educational institutions.
Planning
EPA has partnered with the Federal Environmental Executive and the Whole Building Design Guide (WBDG) to develop the Federal Green Construction Guide for Specifiers. The intent of the document is to address the need for a comprehensive guide for procuring green building products and construction services within the Federal government.
This EPA website providing links to help you find a variety of funding sources including grants, tax-credits, loans, or others.
Green infrastructure is an approach to wet weather management that is cost-effective, sustainable, and environmentally friendly. Green Infrastructure management approaches and technologies infiltrate, evapotranspire, capture and reuse stormwater to maintain or restore natural hydrologies.
Building owners, architects, and engineers can use the charrette process to save time and money by identifying and solving design problems before design and construction begin. A charrette is an intensive workshop in which various stakeholders and experts are brought together to address a particular design project. It is the mechanism that starts the communication process among the project team members, building users, and project management staff.
LID is an approach to land development (or re-development) that works with nature to manage stormwater as close to its source as possible.
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Training, Presentations, and Briefings
The use of natural sunlight, known as daylighting, to illuminate a building can save energy, reduce operating costs, create visual appeal, and enhance occupant health and productivity. The U.S. Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED™) rating system encourages the use of daylighting to achieve high performance buildings. This course provides an introduction to the use of daylighting in commercial spaces. The course objective is to show why daylighting should be considered, the basic guidelines of using daylighting and some words of caution when using certain daylighting techniques.
Building commissioning facilitates all parties working together to ensure that the facility functions as intended. Fine-tunes building systems to operate at optimum efficiency which saves money and minimizes wear and tear. Ensures thorough and complete O&M manuals and training are provided to the operations staff. Includes a process of systematic testing of building systems which helps identify problems more accurately and quickly than the standard punchlist inspection.
Facility managers, energy managers, contractors, and others need to understand the latest information about energy and water management in order to help the Federal government be save energy and money and meet energy efficiency, renewable energy, and water conservation goals. With targeted and up-to-date courses, FEMP helps Federal energy managers become more proficient in energy management and learn about alternative forms of financing energy-saving projects. Additional classes are listed also.
Watch videos of speakers from the U.S. Green Building Council's Greenbuild 2007 International Conference & Expo.
Welcome to the Sustainable Buildings Industry Council's (SBIC) special "classroom" about High-Performance School Buildings. This Training Center was developed with support from the US Department of Energy's Rebuild America/EnergySmart Schools program and Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Valuable resources also linked to website.
Self-Paced Online Training for Architects and Engineers. Interactive courses on this site are offered free of charge as a public benefit for design and engineering professionals specializing in sustainable design for K-12 schools. High performance school design integrates daylighting, indoor air quality, and energy efficiency to build a school that runs efficiently, saves money, protects natural resources, and provides superior visual, acoustical, and thermal comfort.
By incorporating Green Building principles, commercial building operators can achieve a high performance building that results in improved efficiency, decreased utility costs, and increased life of the building. Federal facility managers and operators are now required by Executive Order to instill water and energy efficiency measures by meeting the goals set forth in the Energy Policy Act of 2005. These requirements instruct Federal facility managers and operators to achieve steadily improved energy and water efficiency through the year 2015. Specifically, key requirements give Federal facility operators impetus to achieve greater efficiency and sustainability in operations. The target audience is building owners and operators, design teams for major renovations, contractors, and others responsible for the operation, maintenance, and upgrades of buildings.
This course contains 7 modules in an enhanced web-based powerpoint format. The module topics include an introduction to the LEED 2.2 rating system and extensive coverage of the six categories of LEED, from Sustainable Sites to Innovation and Design Processes. These modules are the time-tested product of the Southface Commercial Green Building Services team and have been delivered "live" to thousands of LEED-AP prospects. The presentations cover the intent, requirements, issues and strategies associated with each of the credits, focusing on the level of knowledge you will need to pass the Exam to become a LEED Accredited Professional.
Presentation from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Infrastructure Systems Conference June 25-29, 2007. The presentation describes the implementation of LEED at Ft. Lewis.
Overview of the intent of the WBDG and how to use the WBDG and implement the portions applicable to your project. Presentation given at the Federal Environmental Symposium – East, June 2008 by Richard R. Paradis of the Sustainable Buildings Industry Council.
Presentation from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Infrastructure Systems Conference June 25-29, 2007. The presentation details building materials studied and their effectiveness during research at Ft. Lewis.
The SBIC website calendar shows training opportunities offered by SBIC and other green building organizations.
Overview of the U.S. Green Building Council and their involvement with LEED. This is a presentation from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Infrastructure Systems Conference June 25-29, 2007.
Simply click on the Search button for a complete list of workshops that are currently open for registration or enter specific search criteria for a filtered list. Please note that our calendar is frequently updated, so continue to check back to find upcoming workshops. After clicking the Search button, the page will refresh and you will need to scroll down to see the workshop listings.
This module provides an overview of water efficiency with the intention of evaluating various types of commercial and institutional water uses, water efficient technological options available, and potential water conservation savings that can be achieved.
Powerpoint presentation developed by NIBS.
Conferences and Events
June 2009
September 2009
09/13 - Healthy Buildings 2009 (Until 09/17)
November 2009
11/11 - Greenbuild 2009 (Until 11/13)
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Last Updated: April 25, 2008